The male student, who turned 18 in February 2015, told authorities that during the 2014-15 school year, he had had a sexual relationship with Pulliam. The relationship, the student told Pulley, began when Pulliam started texting him regarding school matters. Soon after the student's 18th birthday, he stated, the texting shifted to a "flirting" nature.

The student said that as the texting continued, Pulliam eventually began sending the student nude images of breasts and genitalia, using a social media option called Snapchat. The student, in return, sent Pulliam nude images of his genitalia as well.